Tessel (39) started 2024 well by not drinking alcohol. She really wants to keep this resolution as long as possible. “Something that will hopefully help me with this is knowing what positive consequences cutting back on alcohol has on the condition of my skin. Hopefully this knowledge will give my perseverance an extra boost.”
According to research doctor in cosmetic dermatology Jetske Ultee alcohol indeed does a lot to your body and your skin. It is therefore logical to conclude that omitting alcohol also affects your skin. Before Ultee goes into this further, she first wants to discuss what alcohol actually does to our skin:
Dumper and drier
“In an (albeit small) Korean study it was once seen that two glasses of drink almost immediately – half an hour after ingestion – have an effect on the functioning of the skin and skin barrier. Redness, moisture loss and the pH value (acidity, ed.) increase, for example, but at the same time sebum production decreases.”
“Two hours after taking the alcohol, most functions have been restored, except for sebum production, which remained low. So it is not surprising that your skin looks a lot drier or duller the morning after an evening of drinking wine,” says Ultee .
Alcohol intake also affects your sleep and therefore the condition of your skin. After a glass of alcohol you may fall asleep faster, but the quality of your sleep is poorer: you sleep more restlessly and less deeply. This makes you less rested than if you had slept the same number of hours without drinks.
Accelerated skin aging
Ultee: “Ultimately, less good sleep is also unfavorable for your skin. Your skin needs sufficient sleep to work properly. A few short nights already have an effect on your skin. You wake up with dark circles, pale skin and a less fresh appearance, drooping eyelids and ditto corners of the mouth. Moreover, you see this in poor sleepers: swollen, red eyes, a paler skin color, more lines, a skin barrier that repairs less well and in the longer term: accelerated skin aging.”
Another thing to take into account: according to the dermatologist, by drinking alcohol you are ‘attacking the network of protective antioxidants in your skin’. “That effect occurs quickly and lasts for hours. This makes your skin a lot more vulnerable, including to sunlight. This increases the risk of burning.”
Hopefully this information will boost your perseverance. By omitting alcohol your skin will at least get one.
Rubriek: Asking for a friend
In this weekly column Asking for a friend we submit reader questions about health to one of our experts. Do you also have a pressing health question for a GP, midwife, dietitian, psychologist, dermatologist or other health expert? Then email it to weekendmagazine@rtl.nl and who knows, you might see the answer appear here.
2024-01-03 14:48:51
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